Sealed metal container



June 5, 1928.

E. G. MASON SEALED METAL CONTAINER Filed March 25, 1924 I I I 6 m Patented June 19 28. I l

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

nuennn e. MASON, or WASHINGTON, nrs'rnror or COLUMBIA, nssrenon 'ro com:-

nnn'rnn can COMPANY, INQ, or SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A conronnrron on NEW yonx.

SEALED METAL CONTAINER.

Application filed March 25,1924. Serial No. 701,721.

The invention relates to new and useful however, is that the flange shall be integral 55 improvements in sealed metal containers, with the body portion and shall project outand more particularly to a metal container wardly so that the sealing ring may be which may be readily opened by breaking wrapped around underneath said flange for the sealing means therefor. holding the container end on the container An object of the invention is to provide a body. One end of the. container body is 60 sealing'means for a metal container which preferably closedby the usual method of includes an integral one-piece sealing ring double seaming, and this end is preferably extending all the way around the end of applied by the packer to close the container' the container to be closed, which sealing after it has been filled. My improvement ring is provided with a series of breaking has to do with the attachment of the other 65 members arranged side by side and all the end of the container body in such a way that way around the container body and operatthe user may be able to readily and quickly ing to release the entire sealing ring from remove the sealing means which connects its gripping engagement with the container the end to the container body, so that the end and body portion of the container. end can be removed and access had to the 7 In the drawingscontents of the containers. The container Figure 1 is a plan view of a container havend is indicated at 3 in the drawings. Said ing my improvement applied thereto; container end as shown. in the drawings is Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line H provided with a central depressed portion 4:

of Fig. 1, showing an implement applied for whlch is adapted to frictionally fit within 75 I lifting one of the breaking members; the mouth of the container body so that Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showsaid contalner end may be used as a friction in the breaking member as having been cover for the container after the container raised to a point where the sealing ring has has been opened. This central depressed been drawn across from its inner to its outer portion ofthe container end forms a vertical so ide; wall 5 which is the friction wall referred to. Fig. A is a view similar to Fig. 1, but At the upper end of'the wall 5 there is an showing a slightly modified form of breakoutwardly projecting integral flange 6 which to ing member; is adapted to overlie the flange 2 on the v f Fig. 5 is a view showing more or less diacontainer body. Between these 'fianges 2 85 grammatically, the manner of applying the and 6 there is preferably placed a sealing sealing ring shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, material '2' which may be of any suitable and character. Fig. 6 is a view showing more or less After the container end has been placed on diagrammatically and in section, the modithe container! body, then a sealing ring 8 is 9G fied arrangement of the overlying fian'gesof applied. Said sealing ring 8 is formed of the end and body portion of the container. one integral plece of metal and extends all The present invention is an improvement the way around the top of the container.

40 on the metalcontainer shown and. described Said sealing ring has a horizontal ortion in the application of Henry A. Fink, Serial 9 which overlies the flange Gland a epend- 5 No. 657,726, filed August 16, .1923, and is ing portion 10 \which' extends across the particularly directed to the construction of edges of the flanges 2 and 6. Said dependthe sealing ring and the breaking members ing portion 10 when first'applied to the con thereof. The invention is shown as applied tainer extends some distance beneath the 'to a round container, and has a special ad. flange 2 as shown in Fig. 1, thus forming a vantage when used in connection with such portion 11 which can be turned underneath a shaped container. The cylindrical body the flange 2 as "shown in Figures 2' and 3 1 of the container is provided with an outof the drawings.

. wardly projecting flange 2, which as shown The sealing ring has an inwardly proin Figures 2 and 3, .is substantially horijecting portion 12 which is bent downwardly zontal, while as shown in Fig. 6, it is rolled into a central depression in the container into a hollow roll. Other shapings of this end. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, this flange may be used. The essential feature, vertical portion 12 extends substantially the full depth of the depression in the container end, although this is not essential to the invention. llt is, however, essential that the portion 12 shown extends downwardly to some distance beneath the horizontal plane containing the flange 6 of the container end, so that the portions 9, 10, 11 and 12 of the sealing ring will, in a measure, form a housing for the flanges 2 and 6, and thereby the flanges may be held in very tight sealing contact one with the other. The depending portion 12 of the sealing ring extends inwardly toward the center of the container to form a series of breaking members 13.

' by side and extend all the way around the top of the container, but the adjacent edges are curved away from each other slightly, while in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the adjacent edges of the breaking members are substantially in contact. The breaking members as shown in Fig. 4 are formed by radially cuttin the metal as indicated at 15 in the drawings, and thus no particular shaping of the breaking member is necessary. On the other hand, where the adjacent edges are curved as shown in Fig. 1, this forms plenty of clearance for the cutting out of the metal, and the metal can, therefore, be readily cut to'a point indicated at 16, which is well up to the vertical portion 12 of the sealing ring. By having this vertical portion 12 of the sealing ring extend over into the central depressed portion of the end, an anchorage is formed which will hold the inner edge of the sealing ring, and allow the upper portion of the sealing ring to be drawn tightly around the flanges 2 and 6 and thus bring them into tight seal ing contact.

When it is desired to remove the sealing ring so that access may be had to the container, an implement such as indicated diagrammatically at 17 in the drawings is inserted through the aperture 14 and the.

inner end of the breakm member raised. The implement is then p aced against the inner or shouldered edge of the sealing ring which serves as a fulcrum for the prying up of the breaking member. Later, the implement may rest on the outer shouldered edge of the sealing ring as shown in Fig. 3 which forms a fulcrum whereby the sealing ring may be strained upon so as to tear the metal from the point 18 to the point 19. Further strain upon this breaking member will tear the metal down the vertical portion 10 and across the underneath portion 11, thus completely rupturing the sealing ring.

This raising of the breaking member will break the sealing ring usually at both sides of the breaking member and completely remove this section of the sealing ring. The other section of the sealing ring, will, however, still remain tightly grasping the flanges, in view of the fact that the inner portion 12 of the sealing ring extends over into the depressed portion in the container end, so that the ring, although severed, cannot be readily be moved laterally. Other breaking members can be quickly raised, and thus each one in turn removed'ifrom the container, and by the lifting of these breaking members,the endentirely released from the container. This can be accomplished as will be readily understood, by the implement 17, which may be the tine of a fork, a lead pencil, or any other similar article which may be handy.

While 1 have shown the flanges as flat in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings, they may be rolled as shown in Fig, 6 of the drawings. The particular shaping of the flanges is immaterial to the present invention, which has to do particularly with the construction of a series of breaking members extending all the way around so as to completely release the sealing ring from the flanges which are housed within said sealing ring. While I have shown the container end with a central depressed portion which frictionally" engages the inner wallof the container body, it'will be understood also that said container end may have an inturned horizontal flange with a depending portion for frictionally engaging the inner wall of the container, but with such structure, it isessential that the portion of the end which spans and closes the opening in the container body, shall have a central depressed portion of suflicient extent at least, to insurethat the sealing ring shall have a firm grip on the parts of the container end as well as the body portion of the container. This avoids undue straining of the sealing ring during the'closing of the container and enables a tighter seal to be made.

It is obvious that minor changes in the details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the inven- I tion as set forth in the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what I'claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is j A sealed metal container comprising a cylindrical body portion having an outwardly extending flange, an end having a central depressed portion forming a vertical wall adapted to frictionally engage the inner wall of the container body and a flange overlying the flange on the container body, an integral one-piece sealing ring having a portion overlying the flange on the container end and a portion projecting downwardly along vertical wall on c I i 3 tightly around the flanges, said inwardly projecting portion of the sealing ring being ormed into a series of breaking members located side by side of similar size" and shape whereby said braking members may be lifted one after another, and thus the entire sealing ring released from its gripping engagement on the container end and container body.

In testimony. whereof, I aflix my signature.

EUGENE G. MASON. 

